Theory of Distance

Education
FRANCIA G. BAJARO
Distance Education
 a form of education in which there is
normally a separation between teacher
and learner and thus one in which other
means; the printed and written word, the
telephone, computer conferencing or
teleconferencing, for example,
are used to bridge the physical
gap. (Mugridge 1991)
Who needs/ Uses Distance
Education
 Adult learning
K-12 Education
Disabled and homebound
Changing Work Patterns
Changing Social Patterns
Changing Education Patterns
MAIN THEORETICAL APPROACHES
OF DISTANCE EDUCATION
Theories of independent and autonomy
American Theory of Independent Study - Theory of
Independent Studies of C. Wedemeyer (1981).
Features of the independent study systems:

1. Teacher and student are in different places.

2. Teaching and learning processes are carried out in writing or through some other medium.

3. Teaching is individualized.

4. Learning occurs through student’s activity.

5. Learning becomes convenient for the student, when it takes places in the student’s
own environment.

6. The learner takes responsibility for the pace of learning, with freedom to start and stop at
any time .
European Theory of Independent Study: M. Moore’s Theory
of Independent Study.
( Moore,1970)
Provision for two-way communication
(dialog)
distance
The extent to which a program is responsive to the
needs of the individual learner

In goal setting

autonomy In study methods

In evaluation
Distance Face – to –
learning face teaching
 Theory of Conversation
Pask (1975)
Applies a cybernetic approach to network of
concepts and interaction with a computer, he
describes his theory as “ an attempts to
investigate the learning of realistically complex
subject matter under controlled condition”.

zone of proximal
development
 Constructivism
A major theme in the theoretical framework of
Bruner is that learning is an active process in
which learners construct new ideas or concepts
based upon their current/past knowledge. The
learner selects and transforms information,
constructs hypotheses, and makes decisions,
relying on a cognitive structure to do so. Cognitive
structure (i.e., schema, mental models) provides
meaning and organization to experiences and
allows the individual to "go beyond the
information given".
 IMPLICATION FOR ONLINE
LEARNING
Learner should construct their own knowledge
rather than accepting that given by the
instructor. Knowledge construction is facilitated
by good interactive online instruction, since the
students have to take the initiative to learn and
to interact with other students and the instructor,
and because the learning agenda is controlled by
the students.
“ If a child can’t lean the way we
teach, maybe we should teach the way
they learn”
Ignacio Estrada

Salamat po…..